1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to configuring content protection systems.
2. Background Art
A content protection system, such as a conditional access system (CAS), determines whether or not access will be granted to a stream of information. An exemplary application of CAS is in set-top boxes used to decrypt and decode audio and video information transmitted over a cable plant or other network. Typically, these set-top boxes provide additional functionality, some of which supports CAS operations and some of which is unrelated to CAS. In addition to CAS, set-top boxes may also include other content protection systems, including digital rights management (DRM), authorized service domain (ASD), and the like. Not only are there different types of content protection, but different manufacturers often have different requirements for each type.
In order to increase the flexibility of set-top boxes and other media support devices, downloadable CAS (DCAS) systems have been developed. These systems allow various content protection support functionality to be downloaded over the network to the set-top box. However, each different version or upgrade requires downloading different software to support that particular version. Such downloads over broadcast systems, such as typical cable systems, can take considerable time and resources as different components are loaded into various customer devices.
Recently, regulations in the United States have mandated separating user devices, such as set-top boxes, video recorders, personal computers, televisions, and the like, and security protecting content provided to such devices. This separation has been achieved using CableCARDs which insert into a slot in a user device to provide content protection functionality. However, these CableCARDs lack flexibility, are prone to mechanical problems, cause confusion with users, and create inventory and compatibility difficulties.
What is needed is to provide separable security that is flexible and transparent to the user without significantly increasing the complexity or cost of user devices.